Count on Me
by FyoraHime
Summary: Some SeiGou fluff. Seijurou really is a reliable guy, and he wants to make sure that Gou knows it!


Protein powder. Protein powder.

How many brands of protein supplements were in this store, anyway?

Gou let out a small sigh as she scanned the shelves, trying to decide upon the best option. She compared various types of powder, looking not only at their protein levels but also fat and carbohydrate content. She kneeled down to pick up a packet that caught her eye and compared it to the one she already held in her hand. "I saw no problem with the strawberry powder, but Nagisa-kun was the only one who would eat it..." She shook her head and placed one of the containers back on the shelf, having reached a verdict. "This seems to be my best bet!" Smiling, she hopped back onto her feet, smacking into the customer behind her. "I'm so sor- Captain Mikoshiba?"

The former Samezuka captain rubbed his side where Gou had bumped into him. He hardly seemed fazed by that; on the contrary, he seemed to be ecstatic at the mere sight of her. "Gou-kun!" he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "How are you?"

Gou had to hold her breath in order to hold back an exasperated protest about his insistence on calling her "Gou-kun." Considering how she had just rammed her arm into his (muscular) side, however, she responded calmly. "Please don't use Gou and –kun together," she said, and then added, "I'm doing well. How've you been?"

Seijuro broke out into a wide grin. "Great!" he responded. In fact, he was feeling better than usual now that he had had a run-in with the little Matsuoka. Trying not to be too obvious, he couldn't help but glance over her. Even in just a simple tank top and bubble shorts, she was as cute as ever! Her demeanor just radiated an adorable aura! "What're you doing here? Buying protein powder?" He looked curiously at the canister of vanilla-flavored powder in her hand.

Gou nodded in response, laughing a little. "Yeah, but it's not for me. Some of the new recruits need help in maintaining a well-balanced diet! Nobody eats quite as much junk as Nagisa or as is limited in diet as Haru, but nonetheless they all could use a bit more protein to stay in shape!" Aside from being concerned for them as a manager, Gou also couldn't bear the thought of anyone on the team losing their muscles. Gaining a beautifully sculpted body was much more difficult than losing it!

Seijuro nodded understandingly. "I should get on my brother's case about that. Speaking of which, I need to get his medicine. He must've tried eating a stag beetle or something, because he's sick as could be!" He chuckled a little, but then suddenly his expression turned very serious as he gazed intently at the container Gou was holding. "If you don't mind, I think I'd recommend this brand instead." He walked down the aisle and then returned a moment later with some other brand of powder. "I tried it once or twice. It doesn't taste too bad and I think it's really helpful!" He held it out to her.

"Are you sure?" Gou seemed a little hesitant.

Seijuro smiled warmly at her. "Of course! I first saw it advertised in _Monthly Muscle Magazine_ before I tried it. I always make sure to stay informed and stay healthy! When it comes to this type of stuff, you can count on me."

Gou accepted it at last. "If it was in _Monthly Muscle_ , it's worth a try. Thanks! I hope Mikoto-san feels better!" That was his brother's name, right? Mikoshiba Mikoto? Well, it sounded right. She smiled back at the older red-haired boy before returning to put the other powder away. Longingly, almost like a puppy, he watched her go.

 **Clink!**

The coins made a clattering sound as Gou dropped them into the soda machine. "It's so hot!" she exclaimed. Right now, Iwatobi wasn't even in the peak of summer, yet the weather was still uncomfortably warm. She needed a drink if she was going to make it back home with her groceries. Every now and then, a breeze came by to alleviate some of the stress of the heat, but it still wasn't enough. The red-head was rather thankful for her sunhat, which at least shielded her from the worst of the sun's scorching fire and blinding rays.

"I'm short on change?" Gou leaned over for a moment to put down her grocery bags and then started to fumble around in her purse. As she was caught up in organizing her many bags, however, a strong gust of wind suddenly arrived. Normally, she would've been thankful, but in her discombobulated state, she was unable to hold down her hat as the wind lifted it off of her head. "No!" She sprung to her feet and turned around rapidly. Hastily she scrambled after her hat, but running in a dress and sandals was no easy feat. She extended her arms as far as she could, but the wind pulled her hat just out of reach. Finally the gust died down and her hat came spiraling down towards the ground. Unfortunately for Gou, it landed in a nearby pond. Maybe she should've asked Makoto for swimming lessons, after all.

"Gou-kun!"

Gou whirled around to see Seijurou running toward her, waving wildly. His face was glowing with delight, and happiness was flowing off of him in waves. In her current state, Gou didn't even bother to correct him about her name. "Hey, Mikoshiba…"

The Samezuka graduate quickly noticed that something was bothering his beloved Gou—after he noticed how cute that blue dress looked on her. Oceanic patterns were the best! "Is something wrong?" He peeked behind her to look at the lake. "Oh, is that yours?" The hat had a small blue ribbon that matched her dress.

Gou nodded, looking a bit uncomfortable. "The wind caught me off guard," she admitted with a sheepish laugh. "It's okay. It's just one ha- MIKOSHIBA?!" The older boy had already kicked off his shoes and run into the lake. "You're going to get soaked!" she protested, watching as he swam towards her hat. "What if alligators are in that lake?"

Despite her protests, Seijuro pressed onward. At one point he finally threw off his shirt so that the wet sleeves would no longer impede his movement. Gou sat on the grass beside the lake, resting her chin in her hands. He wouldn't listen to her, so unless she suddenly learned how to swim, she couldn't do much about the situation.

Finally he came back towards the shore, proudly waving the hat over his head. "Here you go!" he said with a large grin as he pulled himself out of the lake.

Gou felt her cheeks get hot as she begrudgingly accepted the hat from him. Trying to ignore the fact that his beautiful pecs and abs were staring her in the face, she instead looked at the ground. "Thank you," she mumbled. "You didn't have to do that."

Seijuro waved his hand dismissively. "No big deal! I love swimming. Besides, the thought of an alligator didn't scare me as much as the thought of you losing your hat, because then I'd have an angry Rin coming for me!" He let out a hearty laugh. "You're my friend. When something like this happens, then you can count on me!"

A few days later, Gou sat at her desk, trying to devise a new training regimen. "Rei wanted me to help the newcomers focus on freestyle, but I'm still not used to that. Haru more or less did as he pleased…" Her thoughts began to wander, and so did her eyes; she began to gaze around the room at the various objects scattered about. Her red eyes rested on her sunhat, which was now dry and sitting atop a stuffed shark's head. _'Come to think of it, I should learn how to swim, too. It's becoming more and more evident to me that knowing how to swim is important.'_ She'd love to ask Makoto, but he was in Tokyo right now. She couldn't always work well with Nagisa, so that wasn't an option. Rei would probably be best, considering he was the one who had learned to swim most recently, but he was captain now and he'd certainly be busy. Plus, life as a third-year student could become stressful; she knew that, too.

A crazy thought hit her, and immediately she dismissed it. However, after a moment or two of contemplation, she began to wonder if it wasn't such a bad idea after all. He was done with high school and he hung around the swimming scene often enough at Samezuka. Besides, he always seemed willing to help her out. Gou tentatively reached for her phone, and she took a deep breath before dialing Seijuro's number. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking… when you get a chance, could you, perhaps…" She paused. "Could you help me learn how to swim? Just the basics, nothing fancy, but-"

He cut her off with another one of his trademark hefty laughs. "Sure thing!" He certainly sounded pleased—perhaps even downright thrilled. Don't you remember what I said? You can always count on me!"


End file.
